Two Worlds Collide (Inspired by The Little Mermaid)
by Hufflepuff-Sunflower
Summary: Ivan is a prince, who needs to find a suitor within a week, but how can that be possible when you strike fear into people's hearts? Lili is a mermaid, suffocating with her brother's strict rules. After a disaster at sea, she rescues the young prince, and falls head over heels (or should I say tail?) for him. She makes a deal with an insane sea witch, to be with him. RussLiech
1. Prologue- Alone

**Alright, so, a couple weeks ago, I got an idea to write RussLiech versions of fairytales. (I have the beginning of Cinderella on my deviantART account, if anyone's interested. Same username as here.) And last night, my siblings and I were staying at our dad's, and there were only two movies on TV- Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Little Mermaid. We decided to watch The Little Mermaid, because... Disney.**

**And then, I had a brainwave. I'd write a version of that, basing it on both the original, the Disney version, Hetalia, and putting my own spin on things. Here's the prologue.**

_**Prologue-**_** Alone**

"I-I'm sorry, Ivan, but... this isn't going to work out..." She slammed the door in his face, not even glancing at the bouquet of roses he held out. He stood there, blinking in surprise.

"D-don't worry, sir, she's not quite right for you..." Toris said, crossing her name off the list. "And she was the last one, too..." he mumbled, as an afterthought.

"What was that, Toris?"

"N-nothing, sir. Let's get you back home, it's getting late." He led the taller man back to the carriage. When they took their seats, he was surprised to see no child-like smile on his master's round face. "S-sir, are you alright?"

Ivan gazed out the window, not answering him. Her voice had been shaky. He'd seen that familiar emotion in her eyes..._ Fear... they're all afraid of me..._ He glanced over to Toris. He was slightly shaking, too. Ivan knew the temperature had nothing to do with it. The carriage was nice and warm. "Is there something wrong, Toris? You look like a leaf caught in a storm."

"What d-do you mean, sir? It-it's just cold." Ivan raised an eyebrow at him. Toris was growing more and more frantic by the second. "I-I think I'm just coming down with something, sir. That's all." There was silence, as Ivan resumed looking out the window.

"She was scared of me, Toris," he said, a few minutes later, not removing his gaze from the houses going by.

"N-no, sir, she wasn't! No one is-"

"_You're_ scared, too." His violet eyes turned to meet Toris' nervous, green ones. "Don't try and hide it. You're _all_ afraid of me."

"M-Ms Yekaterina's not scared of you."

"...Da, that is true, but everyone else is. The cooks, the maids, the... the _people_..." He gritted his teeth, hiding all traces of hurt from his face. "Everyone's around me... but... I feel so lonely..."

"Sir, is this because of the princess? Apparently, she's stuck-up, anyway-"

Ivan sighed, angrily. "This wasn't brought about by _suitors_, Toris! I've been feeling like this for... for _years_. But... seeing _fear_ in a complete stranger's eyes, for the umpteenth time..." he trailed off, not being able to find the words to express himself. The carriage drove over a bridge, and he threw the bouquet of roses that was still in his hand into the bright, shimmering water.

"How did it go, dear?"

"Ma'am, please... His Majesty isn't in a very good mood right now," Toris warned Yekaterina, as they entered the palace. Ivan headed up the stairs to his room, in silence. He stopped around the corner, however, when he heard them talking.

"Poor dear..."

"She didn't even let him inside."

Yekaterina sighed. "I'll send Raivis out tomorrow, to get some sunflowers to cheer him up."

"D-did his father give any thought to changing... that rule?"

"I'm afraid not."

"What is this rule, anyway? Eduard only told me that Ivan wasn't happy about it."

"Oh, of course. Well, the rule states that if the prince isn't married by his twentieth birthday, he will be disowned." Toris gaped. "Poor Ivan would be out on the streets."

"But that's only a week away!" he shouted. He had little compassion for Ivan, but that wasn't fair to anyone. "It's not fair! He's so young!"

"No, it's not fair. But... it's the law." Tears started to brim in her eyes.

"Can't the king change it?!"

Yekaterina scoffed, looking around, to make sure no one was listening. "You know that Ivan's father isn't particularly fond of him. I was the one who raised him, after his mother passed." She sighed, as the tears began to fall down her cheeks. "Well, goodnight, Toris."

"Goodnight, ma'am." They parted ways, to the different servants' quarters.

Up the stairs, Ivan slumped against the finely decorated wall, looking out the large window directly opposite him. The full moon illuminated the fresh snow on the ground, and on the treetops in the distance. He sighed shakily, a mixture of anger, annoyance, hurt, fear and sadness brewing inside him. _If he throws me onto the streets... I would never survive the winter..._

**Do my stories always seem somewhat depressing to anyone else...? Maybe if I write about someone ****_other_**** than Russia, that won't happen... *hugs Russia* I'm sorry, Ivan, this is never intentional... Lili and her situation will be introduced in Chapter One. **

**So, in this story, the roles are a little different. Ivan is a prince, who's father isn't particularly fond of him, as Yekaterina said. His mother died when he was five, and he would sometimes get beaten by his father, whom he always tries to impress- to no avail. (It's only like, a slap now and then... only once was it bad...)(...I swear, this isn't like Promises Kept, if you're reading that. And from these two stories... you'd think that I hated Russia, wouldn't you? Well, I don't... he's my absolute favourite character...)**

**Yekaterina isn't Ivan's sister, but someone his father hired to take care of him. As Toris stated, she's not afraid of him- most of the time. She knows that he has a sweet side, but no one gives him enough time to get to know him that much. She and Ivan both have a soft spot for each other, as if they really were brother and sister.**

**The Baltics are the main servants of the palace. Toris' job is to tend to Ivan. They're pretty much the way they are in the manga/anime/webcomic.**

**So... that's about it, I think. Please, tell me what you think, and constructive criticism is very appreciated!**


	2. Chapter One- Recipe for Disaster

_**I got four reviews on the first chapter of this... four. That's the most I've ever gotten for a single chapter. So, thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows~! This chapter is much longer!**_

**Chapter One- Recipe for Disaster- Just Right for Birthday Celebrations!**

"And never enter areas of the ocean where it's dark, or when it's getting dark. Better yet, stay in sight of the house. Also..." Vash's voice droned on and on, giving Lili the same lectures she heard every day. She couldn't help zoning out. There was nothing to do down here, in the ocean. Lili daydreamed of being above the waves, smelling that salty breeze, basking in the beautiful, warm sunshine...

"Lili!" Vash's voice broke her daze.

"J-ja, big bruder?"

He sighed. "You're not listening to me, are you?" Lili slowly shook her head. There was no point in lying to him. He'd know, anyway. "Well, just... go hang around the house. I'll be making lunch soon."

"Yes bruder." Lili sighed, as she left the room. On her (secret) trips to the surface, she'd found these papers that were bound to covers, with countless words, and sometimes even pictures in them. She'd tried to bring them down, but the paper had disintegrated within a day. So, she'd stuck to looking at them at the surface, and managed to teach herself how to read. She found herself remembering one of the tales she'd read, about a beautiful princess who'd found the love of her life. That was what she did when there was nothing to do- remember the same old stories, and picture herself in them. But there was one problem- these stories talked about humans, not mermaids, like Lili.

The truth was, Lili was suffocating with all these rules. She found that slightly humorous. She could drown in figurative things, such as rules, but not the liquid substance that proved to be her home.

After lunch, Vash had his usual nap. Lili took this chance to go to the surface, like every other day. She'd recently found a nice place, near a bridge, and she would hang around there for a few hours, until dark. She'd been spotted at her last special place, so she could never go there again.

"The surface is so beautiful... why does Vash hate it...?" she wondered aloud, relaxing on a sun-baked rock near the beautiful stone bridge. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and she heard a lively village nearby. it was much better than the eerie silence near her dwelling. Before she could think anymore, she heard the rolling of wheels, and she dove back under the water. The next second, a bouquet of roses sank right past her head, with a card attached. Lili brought them back up to the surface, so that the note wouldn't fall apart before she could read it. However, the water had smudged the writing, leaving only the last part- _...Love, Ivan_.

"L-love...?" That word put Lili in a daze. She knew that the flowers and the note were most likely not meant for her, but a part of her desperately wanted to believe that this 'Ivan' was in love with her. Her mind was racing, and she didn't even notice when a couple of children ran onto the bridge, until one of them shouted "Look, Peter! A mermaid!" Lili turned to look at them, a horrified expression on her face. The next moment, the boy threw a rock at her (much to the girl's dismay) and she fled before the two could draw anyone's attention. _Time to go home..._ she thought, diving beneath the waves again.

It was starting to get dark by the time she got home, but Vash was not yet awake. Lili shuddered, thinking of how much trouble she'd be in, if he knew. Also, he would never trust her again...

"It'll do you good to go."

"I don't want to. I'd much rather stay here."

"Sunflowers aren't friends, Ivan," Yekaterina said, sternly. Ivan gave her a look that was half-glaring, but also half-confused.

"Of course they're not. Sunflowers are flowers."

"You know what I mean. You need to be around people- _people **aren't** afraid of you._ After... what happened yesterday... Toris and I decided that it would be nice to have a little pre-birthday celebration."

"I get seasick, though."

"You _do not_. You haven't been to sea since-" Ivan glared at her fully now, but Yekaterina saw the sadness behind the initial anger. She raised her hand as if in surrender. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I wasn't there when it happened. But you need to face these things, Ivan."

He sighed, and leaned against the railing of the balcony. The afternoon sun reflected off the thin snow on the ground, and into his eyes. He closed them, and thought for a moment. "Alright. I'll go. But there'd better be vodka."

Yekaterina laughed. "I knew you'd say that, so Eduard already brought some aboard. There'll also be f- uhm, never mind~" she sang, putting her hands behind her back. "There'll be a special birthday surprise~" Ivan looked at her sceptically. She laughed, and they returned inside to finish the preparations.

"I just can't believe you sprung this on me a few hours before we'd leave."

"Well... Toris only _just_ told me that he was to sc- erm, busy, to tell you."

Ivan smiled- and it was _that_ smile. "Of course."

"Don't be mad at him, dear..."

"Oh, I'm not mad."

"I'm sorry, but I doubt that. I tell you, you _must_ keep your temper in check. Last week, Raivis came crying to me-"

"Stop. _Please_. You think I _want_ to hurt people? Th-they just... I... I don't even know... and... and I lose it... and I don't know... why... I... I don't want to..."

"Alright, it's alright... now go get ready!" Ivan headed off to his room, meeting his father on the way.

"H-hello, father... are you coming tonight?" He nodded. Ivan gave a half-hearted smile. "That's good. Well... I hope we have a good time..." He nodded again. "A-alright, well... s-see you then..." Ivan half ran, half walked the rest of the way. His father never spoke to him, aaand also scared him a bit. The only time anyone had seen Ivan stutter since he was a child was in his father's presence.

They set out on the ship as it started getting dark. Ivan sat in a room below deck, in an area he'd claimed as his own. He looked out the window as the sun set, thinking. _I have six days left... Six days until I get thrown out into the snow..._

The 'guests' for the celebrations were the maids and servants of the castle. Ivan didn't mind- they'd talked to him, and spent time with him, when he was younger. But his father was angered by this- and the only thing scarier than an angry Ivan was an angry king.

"Sir, Ivan said it was fine-" Yekaterina pleaded.

"Of course _he_ did! The boy has no sense!"

"He has more sense than you give him credit for." No others would dare stand up to the man or his son, apart from Yekaterina. Sure, she could break down into tears easily, but she could be fierce and stand her ground when needed. "This is for Ivan's birthday, so I'm afraid you don't get much say in it."

The king scowled. "You should watch your tongue. Women shouldn't speak as openly as you do- especially not to their superiors." Yekaterina opened her mouth to say something, then decided that it was a bad idea, and turned and left, to talk to the tree servants that everyone called 'the Trembling Trio'.

"Goodnight, bruder."

"Goodnight, Lili."

Lili swam back to her room, as Vash swam to his. She waited a while, until she was sure he was asleep, before she swam out through the window. She always snuck out at night, to see the beautiful moon. It was a lot better than anything down here. Her small dress, fashioned out of seaweed, fluttered around her as she swam upwards. The pressure of the water around her got thinner and thinner, until she broke the surface. She saw lights in the distance, and heard faint music. it couldn't be a village... this was the middle of the sea...

She swam closer, enjoying the feel of the cool night air on her wet skin. Her emerald eyes widened at the sight of a grand ship, full of chattering people. She felt a rush of excitement- this was the closest she'd ever been to humans, without them seeing her, at least.

"Toris!" Yekaterina called, ushering the brunette over. "Is the surprise ready?"

"Yes ma'am. I just sent Raivis to fetch them."

"Good. Can you go down and get Ivan please?"

Toris wanted to refuse. He _really_ did. But there was no point- only Ivan could win an argument with the woman. "Yes, ma'am..." he answered slowly, turning to go below deck. He thought, for a second, that he could smell smoke, but dismissed it, assuming it was merely his imagination. He walked along the wooden hallway, until he reached Ivan's quarters, and knocked gingerly on the door. "S-sir, it's time for the surprise..."

Ivan opened the door, and Toris was terrified to see that he wasn't smiling as usual. "My vodka's gone."

"Y-you drank it all, sir?"

"No. I barely even had one bottle. And now all five are gone."

"Raivis, can you light those, please?" Eduard asked, leaving the cabin. Raivis glanced at the fireworks with blurred vision.

"Sure thing, Eddy," he slurred, kicking an empty glass bottle behind a table. He picked up a match, and lit it. The sudden flame shocked him, and he dropped the little stick of wood. He grabbed another one, lit it, and walked outside with an armful of fireworks. He didn't notice the fire from the red tip of the match begin to spread around to the wooden floor of the room.

"Do you smell that, Toris?" Ivan asked, as they headed up the stairs to the deck of the ship. Toris smiled knowingly.

"It's just your birthday surprise."

Lili stopped a little way away from the ship, watching in wonder as the men and women aboard danced to music that someone was playing. She could see them below the large wooden railing. Well, she was able to see their feet, at least.

"Are you ready?" she heard a male voice call out. There was a positive reply, and before she knew it, Lili smelled gunpowder, and looed up to see beautiful sparks in the sky.

"Do you like them sir?" Raivis slurred, smiling up at Ivan. The prince looked down at him, suspiciously. "Sir, you're supposed to be looking up there." He reached for another match, to light more of the fireworks, but dropped it once it had been lit, just like the first one. Ivan stomped on it, to put out the small flame.

"Raivis," he said, slowly. "You wouldn't happen to know where my vodka went, would you?"

"Um..."

"You know it is very dangerous to handle fire under the influence of alcohol, da?"

"O-of course! What kind of idiot would- hic- do that?"

"_Everybody to the lifeboats_!" Eduard yelled, running up the stairs, coughing. Billowing black smoke followed him. "Some idiot set fire to the ship!"

The band stopped playing, and everyone stopped dancing. Raivis blew out the match in his hand. Ivan gave him a light shove in the direction of the boats, and he, like everyone else, ran for the lifeboats. Ivan was about to step into the same one as the Trembling Trio and Yekaterina, when he realised that his father was nowhere to be seen. He ran back, to find him in one of the two cabins that were on the deck's level- the one that was yet to be touched by the golden flames.

"Father! We have to leave! Someone- most likely Raivis- set the ship on fire!" He grabbed the king's arm, and dragged him out of the room, and to the boat. The flames were quickly eating up the wood, and angry, black smoke was travelling to the sky, blocking Ivan's vision. "Here, father, let me life you-"

"I don't need your help! This is all your fault! If you weren't so pathetic, we wouldn't be here right now, in this mess! _Let go of me, you disgrace_!" the king spat, pushing an awestruck Ivan away from him. He didn't realise that the part of the railing they were standing beside was fairly low. Ivan stumbled backwards, and tripped over it. Everyone watched in horror as he fell into the waves below. "Oh my god! Ivan!" shouted his father, trying in vain to reach his son.

_**Please, tell me what you think~ And virtual brofists to everyone who left a review before~ It really brightens my day~**_


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